GVI, Ethical Impact: Volunteer in Cambodia

It was amazing experience and the best travel that I ever have!
People in Cambodia are super nice and friendly. Stuff from GVI and others volunteers made me feel like home. Teaching younger kids English was amazing experience but also it was a lot of fun!
Teaching monks was actually the best, but it's hard to describe the feeling you have when you're doing it, but it's more then marvelousness.
Food here is really delicious, but you need to get used to it.
Cambodia is a beautiful country with a lot of beautiful places to visit. For these who are looking for a place to go and just look around i would definitely recommend Siem Reap- Angkor Wat which is old temple. We went there when the sun was coming up and the view was breathtaking.
I wish I could stay longer and made more beautiful memories and also can't wait to come back!

Teaching or being a teacher was never on the cards. It’s not me I would say. But wow what an experience it was. I feel in love with teaching- loved being with the kids. Not only was I a teacher, I was taught so much too. From Cambodia’s culture, speaking Khmer to personal confidence growth and open mindedness.

Overall, my expectations of this experience in Cambodia went above and beyond. From the amazing culture, most genuine locals, and grateful children to the best team and staff who were all just brilliant. I was lucky to experience so many things I would never have seen myself do or have the opportunity to do. This experience will be one that I will treasure forever and has provided me with confidence, passion and an open mind which are all skills I will use in my future endeavours. Thanks GVI Cambodia. 10/10 highly recommend.

Overall I had the most amazing cultural experience as part of my GVI volunteer trip to Kampong Cham, Cambodia which can only be achieved through living and working in the country. I felt very supported by GVI and received TEFL training and mentorship for teaching. As a volunteer I was privileged to teach English to monks in a Pagoda and facilitated discussions on women's health with students and staff at a University. Whilst volunteering I valued the mutual respect and benefit from working with such a warm and gentle community. I gained direct experience of GVI following the UN SDGs framework which made volunteering feel really worthwhile. Volunteering was also a great opportunity for travelling and my highlights included trips to local temples, Phnom penh, Angkor wat and Hanchey. Overall, volunteering with GVI in Cambodia has been a personally enriching which is giving my life perspective. I would highly recommend volunteering with GVI to everyone!

I volunteered with GVI in Kampong Cham, Cambodia and absolutely loved every second. From the minute I arrived in Phnom Penh, I felt welcome by the staff and quickly made friendships with volunteers. The staff at Moon River Guesthouse treat you like longtime friends and help you with every need you could ever have. I even attended one of their weddings! I had a blast in Cambodia and am so thankful for the stability and resources GVI gave me. If I were to come on my own, I would not have had as great of an experience. When I signed up to come, I had initially just thought I would come to help make other's lives easier and did not consider the impact that it would have on me. My three weeks flew by and I can't wait to come back. I would recommend GVI to anyone and hope to bring my family and friends with me on my next GVI adventure!

As a first time volunteer I was completely blown away by the work and passion present here in Kampong Cham. I came in as one of the 2 first Health volunteers and was not entirely sure what I would do day to day. The program included working with children to meet and understand basic health needs such as brushing teeth. This was one of the most satisfying work I have ever done as most children here have clearly never brushed their teeth before. Providing the opportunity to teach and help the rural Cambodian people have a sustainable and educated view on health topics was amazing.

I even got to teach English to children and adults, which I was entirely unprepared for but ended up being one of my most favorite experiences here. Everyone was so excited about learning and clearly enjoyed us being there and helping them. The staff gave us quick lessons in how to teach and gladly answered all of my many questions. I also feel like I made a real difference in the community as I saw the children actually improve their English with the progression of the course.

Adaptability is definitely required as plans would change almost every single days from weddings to surprise festivals. As a volunteer I got to experience Cambodia's culture in a way that I never could as a tourist. There was also plenty of extra time to go sight seeing to beautiful and historical places like Angkot Wat. The group here feels like family even though I have only been here on a short 2 week trip and I highly look foreward to working again with GVI in the future!

I’m just about to finish volunteering for GVI Cambodia and what an amazing experience it has been. It felt like a true family from the start. From the moment you get picked up from the airport, to the last moments you get dropped off, you feel absolutely comforted. Everyone from the GVI staff and the guest house are truly the most wonderful people, so there wasn’t a single moment I didn’t feel at home. You’ll create lifelong friendships and memories you will cherish forever all while making a positive impact on the local community! I ended up loving this organization so much I applied for GVI jobs all over the world! If you’re thinking about coming to GVI Cambodia, I 1000% recommend! The only thing I regretted was not extending and staying for longer!

I volunteered with GVI Cambodia for two months. Throughout my time here I feel I have developed skills that I can carry with my into te future. There is never a dull moment on base, with field staff always on hand to provide assistance and guidance. The staff are very friendly and approachable and work hard to ensure you have the best time possible. On project, I have a great time teaching English to members of the community and also carrying out a community development internship. I have found this very beneficial and will never forget the amazing memories I have created in this incredible place. I recommend GVI highly as during the application process I felt supported and was well informed about my project and what I will be doing here. GVI Cambodia is still a new hub and it's so exciting to see it developing and growing by the week. Working with local partners and educating members of the community enables you to really become immersed in the Cambodian culture and get to know the people you are working with.

My name is Myrna, I am 20 years old, I am from Indonesia, I study at Industrial Engineering at Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya Jakarta. The program that I live here with GVI is research, program development, and some training.

I started to be interested in volunteering since junior high school because I felt when we could still help why not. I joined this activity with Gvi because I and my friends won the PIPE SDG competition in Indonesia. During this volunteer I became more grateful, more open to his thoughts and got very much new knowledge

From GVI I learned happily that it could not only be achieved through just walking but also by helping people.The training that has been received so far is very interesting, especially the activity of activating what we learn after the training is finished, making it easier for us to better understand it. All of you should try to do activities with GVI because all the activities are interesting and fun.

I feel very happy and very interested in all the activities here. I feel very happy because I got a lot of new experiences. The part that I like most during this activity is the activity of meeting children in the cheung kok area. During this activity I learned to be grateful for my life and learned to patiently run everything. During this activity I felt safe and always got support from staff and friends. From this activity also changed my mindset so that it became more open and could be an added value when I wanted to do the next activity.